In the Eye's of Tom Riddle: A Story of Hate - Hogwarts Years
by blewis61
Summary: We have all heard the story of Harry Potter and how he defeated the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time. But how did the orphan boy Tom Riddle become Lord Voldemort? What made him into an evil wizard who could feel no love and wished nothing more than to end the life of the last remaining Potter?
1. I knew I was special

Disclaimer: Anyone or anything you recognize belongs to the one and only J.K. Rowling; anything you don't belongs to me. It's JK's sandbox, I'm just lucky enough to play in it for a while.

Putting all of the force he could into the spell, pulling on the deepest depths of his hatred for Harry Potter and all that he stood for, Lord Voldemort cried out "Avada Kedavra"! He watched in fascination as a green bolt of light shot toward Harry Potter who had yet to move in his own defense. Voldemort's contempt for Potter only grew, how could he be so weak to not even try to fight for his life; the very fact that Harry was here standing in front of him proved to Lord Voldemort just how weak he really was. Had he been smart he would have let the foolish inhabitants of Hogwarts die for him while figuring out some way to escape and live to fight another day. Instead his foolish "love" for these people caused Harry to appear before him as he knew it would; and now he was about to die, how pathetic.

Just as Lord Voldemort saw the bolt of light slam into Potter's chest and he began to smirk a pain beyond anything he had endured in over 17 years shot through his body and suddenly all went black.

Voldemort felt as if he was floating in a void. A grey mist seemed to surround him and he felt cold to the bone. Fear, something Voldemort hadn't felt in years began to creep into his mind as he began to consider that Potter might somehow have killed him this time. As quickly as the fear came Voldemort pushed it away; Nagini had been alive when he cast the curse at Harry; even if he had managed to find the horcrux hidden in Hogwarts Voldemort knew his last horcrux survived thus leaving him immortal. Where then was he? Has this thought came to him the mist began to form into a familiar location and Voldemort felt himself drawn back as if watching the events take place from a distance.

…

Tom Riddle lay quietly in his bed, trying to hold to the last vestiges of the dream he had been having. In it he had been rich like the men he saw in town square with their fancy cars, beautiful wives, and slick haircuts, when he was taken in to town once a month – the older children could go in to town anytime before curfew but being only seven Tom could only go on the day that the Matron went to shop for supplies for the orphanage. In his dream he had been wearing the finest clothes he had ever seen and was preparing for dinner with his family at one of the fancy restaurants he had seen. His father had just handed him a sweet while ruffling his hair and telling him not to tell his mother in a conspiratorial tone. It was then that the Matron had knocked loudly on the door and announced it was time to get up for the day, breaking into his secret fantasy.

Now as the last bits of the dream slipped away and reality set in he admonished himself for the sadness that he began to feel. He wasn't rich and he certainly wasn't going to be seeing his parents any time soon. Tom was an orphan, he had been raised at Alexandra Orphanage from the time he was a baby and his mother had died giving birth to him. His father was unknown and although Tom secretly held out hope that he might show up and take him away some day the hard life of the orphanage was quickly shattering that dream. While Mrs. Cole, the orphanages Matron, did her best to take care of the kids in her care Alexandra was not what could be called a happy place, and one of the first things Tom had learned growing up here was that unrealistic dreams did nothing but cause pain; it was far better to simply accept life for what it was and try to survive. With that thought Tom steeled his resolve and cast away the last bit of the dream as he got out of bed and prepared for the day, he would not let some fantasy about a family he never had bring him down, life was hard enough without it.

Later in the day while working on his chores – at the moment this meant pulling weeds in the garden – Tom saw Billy and his two friends Hector and Marko walking up to him and internally cringed. Billy was nine and amongst the younger kids was the resident bully. Billy himself wasn't that intimidating; contrarily even though he was two years Tom's senior he was only slightly bigger. He was, however, very foul tempered and for reasons unknown to Tom he could always get Marko and Hector to do his bidding, they were his muscle. Though they would not pose a threat to any of the older kids – the unspoken agreement amongst the orphans at Alexandra was that 10, when you could begin going to town on your own and could explore on your own on the trips to the coast, was the line of separation between the "older" and "younger" kids – to the younger kids they were quite intimidating. While the older kids might actually fight from time to time amongst the younger orphans "fights" usually consisted of words being exchanged followed by cheap shots being taken for a while whenever none of the matrons was looking. Tom and Billy had had one such exchange of words, as they often did, earlier in the day and Tom had a feeling he knew what was coming. Tom considered going to Ms. Cole or one of the other matrons momentarily but quickly dismissed that. The code amongst the orphans was iron strong when it came to snitching on one of the other kids; you simply didn't do it and if you did you paid the price, period. As these thoughts passed through his mind the three kids reached him and before he could even get up from kneeling in the garden Hector sent a strong kick to his gut knocking the air out of his lungs and sending him on to his back. The pain was intense, and though he tried to stop them tears came unbidden to Tom's eyes. Has he laid their he saw Billy's face appear above him and he sneered, "awe does the poor baby need a bottle," before jabbing his own toe into Tom's side and walking away saying, "what a wimp" as his goons laughed and followed.

Tom rolled over too his hands and knees and fought to catch his breath and get control of himself. Anger ripped through him and it took all of his willpower to not charge at the backs of the boys who had just humiliated him. No, to step into a fight outnumbered and severely outmatched would only increase his pain and humiliation and so he willed himself to calm down and rise to his feet. As he glanced around he once again had to tamp down his anger as he saw a group of older kids looking at him. Some of the boys were snickering which was bad enough; however, some of the girls had looks of pity in their eyes which Tom couldn't stand. Pity was something that Tom had never been able to stomach; it made him feel weak and reminded of just how pitiful his existence was.

Seeing the pity in the girls eyes took him back to the first time he had seen that look. It was the Saturday following his fifth birthday and he had awoke feeling excited because it was the first time he would be able to join in on the group trip into town. It would be the first time in his young life that he would see the world outside of the orphanage that had been his existence to that point and he couldn't wait. Sitting in the yard to the orphanage he would occasionally see people as they went about their day and he would hear stories from the older children about what the town was like so he knew there was more to the world than just the orphanage, but this would be the first time he would experience it. He also held on to a small dream that someone in town would see him and wouldn't be able to resist granting him the most ardent desire of every orphan and Alexandra by adopting him. Adoptions were incredibly rare but that didn't stop even the most jaded of the young orphans from holding a glimmer of hope that they would be one of the few chosen – though most of the older children had long since given up hope since those adoptions that did happen typically were babies with the occasional young child. Tom had bounded out of bed and quickly dressed in his best clothes – looking back he realized the hilarity of using the term "best" to describe anything he owned; least worn would have been more accurate – and ran to the dining area for a quick breakfast before queuing up with the rest of the children heading into town. As the Matron assigned to escort them arrived Tom had barely contained his excitement and nearly ran as they began the short trip to the square. The sights and sounds that assault his senses had him turning his head in every direction as he tried to drink it all in; vendors selling a wide assortment of wares ranging from food to fineries, families wearing clothing far nicer than anything he had ever imagined strolling along the walkways, young children playing under the watchful eye of their parents, and so much more filled his senses. The matron who was escorting them told them that they could look around in this one area – the town square itself actually encompassed several blocks and was separated into many smaller market areas – and admonished them to stay within site and out of trouble. As Tom began wandering about he noticed that those eyes that fell on him all held the same look and he couldn't quite make out what it meant. Most of the people just seemed to ignore him completely but those that didn't seemed almost pained and his young mind was struggling to figure out what was wrong. That night when he got home he had spoken with Richard, one of the older children, and asked him about it. Richard had explained that the town folks couldn't spot the orphans because of their dress and that those who didn't simply ignore them felt sorry for them. At the time Tom had not really comprehended what Richard was telling him, however, as the next couple of years passed Tom had grown to despise that look.

Now, standing in the garden and seeing that same look in the eyes of another orphan caused Tom's insides to boil. It was bad enough to have people outside of the orphanage look down on him – for that is what Tom had come to think of pity as – but to have someone in the orphanage think of him that way was infuriating. Tom went back to pulling the weeds with a new fury while trying to come up with a way to make Billy pay. He knew that any attempt to attack Billy directly would be doomed to fail. Billy never went anywhere outside of the protection of the matrons without his goons in tow and there was no way Tom was a match for them. Then a memory came to Tom and a small smirk started to play at his lips as he knew he had found the perfect way to get back at Billy. About a year ago Billy had found a small rabbit in the garden and had convinced the Matron to let him keep it as a pet. Not only had Billy come to care a good bit for the rabbit but it also special because it was something that he had that no one else did. Tom knew that if he could get rid of the rabbit that not only would Billy be devastated by the loss of a pet but just as importantly – at least in Tom's mind – he would lose the thing that allowed him to be special when Tom could not.

The next night when the rest of the children were at dinner Tom crept into the dorm room that Billy shared with several other boys. He peered around warily to ensure that he was alone and then locked his eyes locked on his target. Sitting on a small table at the foot of Billy's bed was a small metal cage with a brown rabbit resting inside. 'Displayed were everyone will know it's his' thought Tom bitterly as he walked over to the cage. Tom had intended on taking the rabbit outside and releasing it, however, now that he was here he saw that wouldn't be possible. The cage was locked with a small padlock and Tom assumed that either the matron put it on to ensure the rabbit was not allowed to roam the room or Billy put it on to ensure only he was able to decide who could play with it. Either way Tom was now stuck trying to figure out a new way to exact his revenge on Billy through the animal. Just then Tom heard a noise down the hall and began to worry that someone leaving dinner early might catch him in the act. Tom's heart began to beat quickly as his fury once again mounted – Tom had always had a nasty temper and he could feel it ready to explode – with the prospect that he would be unable to do anything. Staring at the rabbit, which was now near the edge of the cage looking as if it expected to be pet, Tom spat, "looks like Billy will be able to keep showing you off after all; I wish I could just kill you and hang you from the ceiling; that would wipe the smirk off of his face." At the moment when Tom's anger peaked and he was going to simply destroy a few of Billy's things and leave there was a bright flash and suddenly Tom noticed that the cage was empty. He looked around wildly and found the rabbit hanging from the rafters obviously dead. Tom eyes widened in surprise and he bolted from the room.

When he was back at his own bed he sprawled out on the bed trying to catch his breath and thinking about what had just happened. Strange things had certainly always happened around him – things would break when he would get angry, he swore his favorite shirt must be growing with him as it still fit him after several growth spurts, and other odd things – but this was different. While he had never been able to explain those happenings he was also never sure if he was causing them. Tonight, however, he had specifically thought about hanging the rabbit from the rafters before it had happened; there was no way around the fact that he had caused it and with that came the realization that he had been the cause of the other odd things that had happened. Tom's eyes shone with intense pleasure has he broke out into the first grin he remembered having in a long time. He had always had a feeling there was something different about him. While he appeared to be the same as the rest of the children he always knew he was somehow better, somehow special, and now he knew how. He didn't know how he had done all those things but as sure has he could feel the bed under him he knew he would be able to do it again and he couldn't wait to try.


	2. Power Through Anger

Warning: This chapter involves some acts of animal cruelty. I have done my best to keep them non-graphic as possible, however, I realize some people might still be offended. I am not doing this for shock value but because animal cruelty is one of three corners of the serial killers triangle and it seems rational to me that a psychopath like Voldemort would have experienced at least some of the warning sign. J.K. opened the door with the rabbit incident; I am simply walking through it.

Several weeks had passed since Tom had managed to hang Billy's rabbit from the rafters and Tom was now quite thoroughly depressed. It wasn't that he had gotten in trouble; in fact he had gotten off completely because while the head matron suspected him she couldn't prove anything and in fact couldn't think of any way he could have done it. Of course, that didn't stop Billy and his gang from finding him the next day and exacting their own form of justice. When they had surrounded him Tom had tried with all of his might to use his new-found powers to his advantage; however, he just couldn't make anything happen. Instead he had wound up with a black eye and a swollen lip before Thomas, a 17 year old who ran the older kids gang had the fight broken up before any serious damage could be done – the matrons were so busy that often times the Alexandra Angels (the orphanage gang) simply enforced their own rules; one of which was that fights between younger orphans were broken up before injury was caused. Thomas' then had one of his lieutenants, a girl named Ruth, ask Tom why they had jumped him. Tom could have lied and said they did it without reason and Billy and his thugs would have faced equal punishment – one on one fights were allowed without cause, but to jump another orphan without permission from Thomas required solid reasoning – however, Tom was just too dejected to care and had simply told her that they had a previous beef and the beat down was earned.

Since then Tom had been trying to get his "gift" as he had come to call it to work and had been unable to. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate on an object and make it explode like he had accidentally done in the past nothing would happen. After three weeks of failure Tom was beginning to believe that maybe he had imagined the whole thing and was just going crazy. With these thoughts running through his mind Tom walked along the outskirts of the orphanages courtyard trying to avoid everyone. As he walked he saw a pigeon resting on the fence out of the corner of his eye. All of the disappointment he had been feeling over the last week suddenly turned to rage and he looked around for a rock to throw at the bird; he didn't know why but he had learned over the last couple of years that inflicting pain on others always made him feel better, and since he was still a rather small child animals made easy targets. As he sought out a rock he saw a flash near the bird and when he looked up the bird was on the ground with an obviously broken wing. Tom stood frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity as he tried to remember exactly what he had been thinking when his gift had shown itself. Thinking maybe it could only work at certain times Tom excitedly focused on the bird and tried to form a clear thought in his mind of the other wing breaking. When nothing happened he once again furrowed his brow as he tried to imagine what he was doing wrong. Just as his temper was once again flaring he realized what was missing. Every time he could remember his gift coming out his anger had been at the forefront. That was the missing piece; his anger made him powerful. Envisioning the beating he had taken just a few weeks ago Tom tried to picture every blow and let his anger build with each one. Just as he felt he could hold his anger no longer he once again focused on the bird and formed a picture of its neck breaking. A small flash of light surround the bird and when it had cleared Tom saw that the bird's head was crooked and it was obviously dead. Tom let out a small victory whoop and began searching for more ways to test his new powers.

Over the next couple of months Tom sought out larger and larger animals to try his gift on. He found that on smaller animals like birds or small squirrels he was able to break bones if he concentrated hard enough, though it would tire him out and give him a headache after just a couple. On larger animals such as dogs the most he could manage was to cause the animal to limp for a while and even that made him feel like he had just finished running a long distance. He did find, however, that if he just thought about causing the animal pain he could make them whelp in pain without feeling any fatigue until he had done so many times; thought the number he could pull off decreased the larger the animal was.

It was nearing Halloween when Tom got the first opportunity to use his gift on a human since learning to control it. Billy and he had come to a sort of truce since Tom had received his beating. Tom suspected that Thomas had spoken with Billy and told him to move on for a while, that Tom had had enough, but he also knew it was only a matter of time before Billy came back around to him. That was how all bullies worked, pick on one kid until you get bored then move on to another; when the well runs dry go back to the first. And so it happened that as Tom was walking around the town squire (the Matron after giving her normal lecture about staying within site had promptly gone into the general store to get supplies as normal) that Billy's thug Marko pulled him into an alley and threw him against a wall while Hector stood by flexing his muscles menacingly.

"Well, look what we have here boys" Billy said grinning, "little Piddle Riddle's lost his way. Now don't go wetting yourself now Tom, I know you're scared but you get pee on my shoes and we're going to have to hurt you worse."

Piddle Riddle was a name that Tom had picked up when he was five because he still wet the bed when most of the boys had outgrown it. He had actually stopped wetting the bed shortly after, but the name had stuck, at least with Billy and the other bullies of the orphanage (though most had grown old enough now that they left Tom alone).

"I'd let go of me now if I were you" spat Tom, knowing full well they wouldn't but wanting to buy some time sparring with words to get his anger up before they threw the first blow and caused him to lose focus.

"Oooh, I'm scared" commented Billy in a fake scared whisper as Marko and Hector guffawed. "What are you going to do Piddle Riddle, run to the Matron and tell on us?"

Trying to sound brave, though despite his best efforts Tom was starting to be a bit afraid what would happen if his gift didn't work, Tom snarled, "This is your last chance." At this point Tom was boiling and ready to try his gift. Has Billy nodded and Marko pulled back his fist Tom focused all of his thoughts on causing Marko as much pain has he could; the result was instantaneous.

A bright flash hit near the center of Marko's chest and he was thrown to the ground as he screamed in pain. Tom stumbled as Marko released him but managed to stay standing and looking directly into Billy's eyes while trying to hide his smirk and said, "I warned you". Billy and Hector were both still standing looking down at Marko with dumbfounded looks on their faces but fear was starting to clearly creep into their eyes. Seeing this Tom thought it best to give them another example before they decided he might not have caused it and jumped on him. Focusing on Hector this time (might as well get rid of the muscle thought Tom) Tom focused his remaining anger on Hectors right leg. Another small flash of light and Hector fell to the ground next to Marko clinching his leg and swearing profusely.

"What the hell are you?" whispered Billy looking at Tom with abject terror in his eyes.

"Something more than you'll ever be" Tom said in as calm a voice has he could muster. He was, in fact, far from calm. He wanted to shout out in excitement but he also knew that the matrons who were calm but stern were always more intimidating than those that shouted so did his best to put on a calm face. "All you really need to know is that from now on I'm off limits," then thinking that having some muscle to protect him might not be a bad idea – after all this gift did wear him down if he used it too much – Tom added, "in fact from this point forward you all do as I say, got it?"

Marko and Hector both seemed confused and looked to Billy for guidance. Billy looked Tom up and down and then in a voice full of false bravado said, "And what if I just go to the Head Matron and tell her what you've done?"

Tom thought about using his gift on Billy but a small bit of doubt nagged at him. What would happen if Billy did go to the matron? Sure it was unlikely that she would believe him, but with two witnesses there was no telling. For that matter, as far has Tom knew other boys might have had the same gift in the past and just been sent away before anyone found out. It wasn't common for boys to be sent to a detention home or mental hospital from the orphanage, but there were enough stories to give Tom pause. Added to this was the fact that Tom's head was starting to pound and he wasn't sure how much more he could do. In the end Tom figured that Billy was unlikely to think that far as long as Tom planted the seed so pulling on all of his confidence he sneered, "I don't think you're going to do that Billy. She'd laugh you out of the office and then to top it off you'd be labeled a snitch." Seeing the uncertainty in Billy's eye Tom continued "You'll be 10 in a couple of Month's Billy, and you know how the Angels treat snitches!"

The look in his eye let Tom know that he had him even before Billy quickly said, "Okay, okay, you win; you need something you let us know and it'll be done."

On his way home that day Tom couldn't help but skip along; although he still had a slight headache from using his gift he thought that things were definitely looking up.


	3. A trip to the coast

Disclaimer: All credit for the amazing world and characters belongs to the one and only J.K. Rowling. It is her sandbox, I am just playing in it for a while.

Blackness once again surrounded Lord Voldemort as the memories of his first days practicing magic faded away. Voldemort couldn't be certain how long the memory had taken to play out but he was sure it had only been moments. Confusion ran though Voldemort's brain has he tried to grasp what was happening. Could Potter be holding him in some kind of curse that made him relive parts of his life - it would be just like that doddering old fool Dumbledore to teach Harry a spell like that in the hopes Voldemort would see the error of his ways. Chastising himself for even thinking it Voldemort quickly cast off that idea. If such a spell existed he would know about it and how to end it; and anyway Harry hadn't even gone for his wand let alone cast a spell. As Voldemort continued to mull over what was going on the fog around him once again began to form into the familiar setting of his past.

Tom paced excitedly around his room as the sun began to rise. He was always an early riser, however, today he had woken especially early in anticipation for the trip to the coast. Tom had always heard wonderful tales form the older children about the time spent roaming around the beaches and countryside on the yearly trip, however, he had always been too young to go himself. This year he was finally ten and old enough to go. This would be the last of the major benchmarks separating him from the "young" orphans that he had previously been part of.

Tom had turned 10 just over four months earlier and had quickly been accepted by the Angels as a new recruit. While all of the orphans were expected to follow the Angels rules and in turn all were protected by them (both in the orphanage and more importantly out on the street were other youth and adult gangs could make life dangerous for a kid with no family) only those that were considered the toughest or in some other way beneficial to the gang were allowed to join. While Tom had never been someone anyone would consider tough he had gained the respect of Trina - the new leader of the Angels since Thomas had turned 18 and left the orphanage - by his ability to command the respect of many of his peers. Trina didn't know about his gift but she had heard that he had ways to keep his troops in line and didn't much care how he did it. Tom had no real loyalty to the gang; however, he did see it as a good way to benefit himself through protection and he loved the respect it gained him. Within a month Tom had been promoted to a Lieutenant (the first to ever do so in less than a year) and was leading his own crew, including some older than him. Tom kept control by using his gift on the toughest of the bunch and then using them to enforce his will on the rest; allowing him to keep his gift quite while still getting what he wanted. The last four months had proven two things to Tom; fear gained power and power was like a lodestone pulling more power to it. The more people he caused to fear him the more power he would gain and the more others would fear him continuing the cycle. The older kids still didn't fear him (his gift seemed to have very little effect on those more than a year older than him) a huge amount, but they did respect his ability to keep his crew in line and so left him alone which was good enough for now; they would learn to fear him later.

These thoughts swirled through Tom's head has his roommates began waking up and preparing for the day. Hearing the sounds of people moving throughout the orphanage Tom decided it was late enough to head to the dining room for breakfast. The dining room was the largest room in the orphanage and was filled with long wooden tables worn with age surrounded by stiff backed wooden chairs that Tom was sure were made as uncomfortable as possible in order to get the orphans to eat quickly. Tom knew what would be on the menu before the smell even reached his nose, oatmeal. He knew because it was the same breakfast he had had for as long as he could remember. He knew that other breakfast items existed because he saw the merchants in town selling the ingredients; but all he had ever tasted was the bland and sticky substance they served each morning at the orphanage. Tom joined the queue that was lining up to be served from a small window at the front of the room; the line was still short given how early Tom had come down but he knew by the time they started serving in ten minutes the line would be wrapping around the outer wall and through the door as all of the kids lined up for the first meal for the day.

After receiving his breakfast Tom made his way over to the table near the edge of the room and was joined shortly by Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop. Tom didn't consider Amy and Dennis friends, and he knew they didn't consider him one either; but they were decent company and so Tom often found himself eating with them or walking along side them on the way to town. Amy was 10 and like Tom this would be her first trip to the coast, however, Dennis was 11 and had gone the year before.

Excitement was evident in Amy's voice as she turned to Dennis and asked, "You will show us around won't you?"

"Of course, Joseph showed me all of the best spots last year so I know were they are." Dennis said haughtily. There wasn't a lot to separate one orphan from another and so having something you could show the others that they didn't know was always a great thing and Tom could already tell that Dennis was going to eat it up. The thought of having to depend on Dennis to show him around annoyed Tom who hated being dependent on anyone, however, he really did want to see all of the best sites so he plastered on a fake smile and agreed with Amy about how great it would be for him to show them.

Nearly five hours later Tom, Dennis, and Amy were all exploring the coast after having a light picnic lunch. The matrons had admonished them all to be careful near the cliffs and told them to be back to the buses by nightfall thus leaving them to their own devices for the remainder of the day. Dennis had so far shown them several amazing sites. They had just left an abandoned old barn and were heading toward a lighthouse when Tom spotted a cool looking cave a short ways into the water. It looked like it would be almost under water when the tide came in, however, for the moment they would be able to reach it without getting more than their legs wet. Tom pointed it out and excitedly said they should check it out.

"I don't know, the matron said to stay away from the cliffs and the only way to get to it is to climb down them." replied Dennis with a bit of an edge to his voice. This was not one of his sights and it was clear he didn't want Tom stealing his thunder.

"She said to be careful around the cliffs, not to stay away from them" Tom said as if talking to a slow child and then added, "your not to chicken to climb down are you?".

Tom instantly knew he had won this round as Dennis' eye narrowed and he started heading toward the cliffs muttering something about not being scared.

Amy who had stayed quite through their exchange glanced at the retreating back of Dennis and then giving Tom an angry look - Tom suspected that she had a crush on Dennis - trudged after him.

After fifteen minutes they had made their way down the treacherous rocks and across the small bit of water and were now in the mouth of the cave. Exploring deeper into the cave they came across an underground lake and admired the way what little light there was danced off of the dark water. Even Dennis had stopped making sarcastic remarks toward Tom in an attempt to get the upper hand back; after all, the cave really was a cool new spot and given that Joseph hadn't shown it to him he assumed it was an unknown among the other orphans so he would have plenty of stories to tell. As they started back toward the front of the cave Amy let out a shriek and jumped back toward Dennis. Tom looked were she had just been and saw a now hissing snake bearing it's fangs as it curled back into itself looking as if it was ready to pounce at any movement. It was a light brown color with a black strip down it's back and as far as Tom was concerned it was huge. It was hard to tell it's full length but Tom was sure it was at least three feet long and easily the size of his upper arm around. The snake snapped at them and said, "Get back, I'll not have you near my nest"

Shocked Tom responded without thinking, "What, how, how did you just speak to me" and then looked up at his Amy and Dennis expecting to see the same shocked look he was sure he had on their face. Instead they were now looking at him with the same fear in their eye as they had when they looked at the snake.

As he was trying to comprehend why they were looking at him so strange the snake replied, "Well it's obvious isn't it; you speak our language. It's not common for a warm blood to be able to speak the tongue, but it's not unheard of either. Now leave before I strike your friends down. You are protected as long as you cause no harm to us, however, your friends bear no such protection!".

Blinking slightly Tom realized why the other two were looking at him so oddly. He was sitting here talking to a snake and they couldn't understand any of it; it had to look very strange and under the circumstances a bit frightening.

Thinking quickly Tom said to the snake, "I'll bring you no harm, but I would appreciate a favor before we go"

It seemed to Tom as if the snake eyed him warily for a moment before slightly bobbing it's head as if to tell him to go on so Tom continued, "These are not friends; in fact, they need to be shown why they should respect one as dangerous as you. I don't want them hurt but make it seem as if you are about to on my command. Start with him." With that Tom pointed toward Dennis and hoped that the snake would listen.

"With pleasure" Tom heard the snake say with what he was sure was an evil glee in his voice as it advanced on Billy who was now frozen in fear. The snake stretched itself to it's full length and then lifted its upper body and bared it's fangs menacingly. Billy jumped back and then as Tom pointed toward Amy and hissed, "now her" It turned it's dark eyes toward Amy and hissed menacingly snapping it's jaws as it advanced on her.

As Amy shrieked once again Tom put up his hand and said, "That is enough, thank you, we will leave you in peace now". Tom watched in fascination as the snake undoubtedly bowed toward him and then slithered back to the place it has started in front of a small hole, obviously guarding its nest.

Tom then looked at Amy and Dennis and in as innocent a voice has he could muster said, "We better leave before it decides to bite one of you, lets go."

Once they were safely back on the top of the cliffs Dennis rounded on Tom, "What the hell were you playing at! That damned thing nearly bit Amy and I after you taunted it on to us!"

"Yes it did, and don't for a second forget that it was ready to do as I told it!" snarled Tom.

Dennis' face drained of color at the obvious implication of Tom's words. It was clear that he expected Tom to deny it, to say that he was just trying to make soothing sounds at the snake and couldn't believe the way it acted either. Instead here Tom was telling him that he had controlled the snake somehow.

"But, but, how could you do that" said Amy with a shaky voice and a manic look on her face.

"Don't worry about how, just remember that I can and that if either of you whisper a word of this to anyone one of my slithering friends will be visiting you in bed." Tom whispered menacingly.

Amy and Dennis both swore that they would never tell a sole and fell in behind Tom as they headed back toward the matrons. It was clear that they were terrified of him and he drank it in like a drug. He was elated at his new found ability and even more so at the sheer terror he was able to inflict without any real effort to speak of. If fear were in fact power he was sure that he just found a way to get a lot more of it.

A/N: The snake I was trying to describe is the Vipera berus more commonly known as the European Adder or Viper. Please review and let me know what you think; I would love any feedback.


	4. A Strange Visitor

_A/N: First of all, I apologize for the slight delay since my last chapter. I have been very busy and so haven't been able to dedicate much time to writing lately. Second, I know my work likely has a lot of typos and such, I am looking for a beta right now and hopefully will be able to eliminate the issue soon. Lastly, in this chapter especially there is a LOT borrowed from JKR - even more than normal - so to be clear; I own nothing your recognize. It is JKRs sandbox, I'm just playing in it for a while. For this chapter because I am borrowing a lot of direct quotes from the books I have underlined those sections that come directly from the books. It was the least confusing way I could think to get the conversations accurate without plagiarizing JKRs works._

**A Strange Visitor**

Tom sat on his bed reading; well, he had a book in front of him at least. A closer look showed that his eyes were glazed over as he daydreamed about the day he left the orphanage and used his gift to become truly powerful. It had been just over a year since the trip to the coast and much had changed since that day.

First, Tom had not only gained much more control over his gift - he could now control how much pain he caused if he was careful; though it did give him a terrible headache - but since speaking with the snake on the coast he found that he had an affinity with all animals. He had tried to speak with other animals and found that if any of them could understand him they weren't talking back; however, he did find that they would follow simple orders if he concentrated hard enough on making them. So far the most advanced thing he had accomplished was to get a pack of stray dogs in London to chase after a few members of a rival gang when they had surrounded him, but he was elated by it none the less. Snakes, however, seemed to have much more than just an affinity for him; they seemed to be drawn to him. It might be that they had always been around but he hadn't noticed, or maybe his conversation with the snake in the cave had unlocked something but it seemed that each time they had visited the country since that day he had been approached by snakes. Some would simply make their presence known as they passed by, others would ask him if he had seen any rabbit dens nearby, and one that had been injured even asked him to move him to a safe location so he could heal. All of them seemed willing to do his bidding when he asked and he quickly found that though they seemed wary of "warm bloods" in general they were subservient to him for some unknown reason.

The other change was in how he was viewed by both the matrons and the children at the orphanage. Dennis and Amy had been jumpy and easily frightened since returning from the cave. The matrons had tried to ask them what was wrong but they wouldn't admit to anything and so while the matrons were sure Tom had done something they couldn't do anything about it. Since then they had watched him much more closely and noted that many children seemed to be afraid around him but couldn't figure out why. It was true that Tom had grown considerably taller over the last year, however, he still wasn't "large" by any means and if anything was a rather fair looking child; not what one would expect of a bully. This left the matrons at a loss of what to do and Tom had even heard Mrs. Cole, the head matron, telling another matron that she was considering having a doctor come and speak with Tom to see if they could find out what he might be doing to the other kids.

The kids, however, knew perfectly well what Tom was capable of and had come to fear him because of it. At first Tom had tried to limit who knew about his gift, however, he soon found that as long as he only used it on a few the simple fear it caused amongst the rest gave him a tremendous amount of power within the orphanage. While his gift wasn't as effective on kids older than him they didn't know that and the stories that the younger kids told were plenty to cause the rest to fall in line for two reasons. One was the fear of what Tom himself might do, and two was the fact that the toughest bullies within the Angels now looked to him as their ringleader. Tom had avoided directly challenging Trina in any way - he knew that no matter how much people might fear him one word from Trina would cause all but his most loyal followers to rise to her defense and he wasn't certain he yet had the strength to take her on. Even so it was clear to anyone who cared to take notice that Tom was quickly becoming the most powerful Angel below Trina and was not one to be messed with. The result of this was that most kids simply avoided him and if approached by him many would nearly tremble with fear because of his growing reputation. Tom reveled in this power and couldn't wait to gain more; which was why he now sat daydreaming about the day he would leave the orphanage and be able to seek it. He wasn't sure how many others had gifts like his but he was sure it was rare - otherwise those with the gift would simply rule openly over those without it - and he was sure he would be able to exploit that fact once he was old enough. For now, however, he was stuck in this dreadful orphanage and so he would have to make the best of it while he was here.

It was as he was thinking about how he could turn his growing reputation even more to his advantage that he heard a soft knock on the door and saw Mrs. Cole enter followed by a strange looking man. Tom quickly thought back over the last couple of days to figure out who might have ratted him out but couldn't think of anything he had done to warrant a visit from the head matron. That line of thought was quickly pushed out, however, as he did a double take on the man. Tom didn't recognize him from anywhere and he definitely didn't look like anyone he had seen around town. He had long auburn hair and long beard to match and was wearing a plum velvet suit. He was extremely tall and had the look and demeanor of a very intelligent and powerful man. Tom instantly tensed up inside, although he did his best not to show it. He was sure that Mrs. Cole had sent for a doctor from the asylum to have a look at him.

"How do you do, Tom?" said the older gentleman holding out his had to Tom.

Tom hesitated and then shook his hand, still apprehensive, but not wanting to show it. The old man then sat in the hard wooden chair next to Tom's bed, were he had been reading.

"I am Professor Dumbledore." said the old man.

"'Professor'?" repeated Tom, he was sure this was a trick, "Is that like 'doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?" Tom said as he pointed were Mrs. Cole had been standing.

"No, no," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"I don't believe you," said Tom. "She wants me looked at doesn't she? Tell the truth!" said Tom, making sure to say the last part in the same commanding manner as he did when he wanted something from one of the children of the orphanage, he was sure this would get this Dumbledore to show his true colors. When he finished speaking he just glared at the old man, waiting for him to respond and making sure he new that Tom wasn't scared, (although in reality his insides were squirming with fear of being sent to the asylum.) The old man kept smiling and not saying anything, it was driving Tom mad, he couldn't keep the fear from his face any longer. "Who are you?" he said in a much less demanding voice.

"I have told you, My name is Professor Dumbledore and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at my school-your new school, if you would like to come." stated the old man.

This was it, the truth had come out, although this Dumbledore wasn't saying it exactly. He was from the asylum and he was trying to trick Tom into going without fighting. Mrs. Cole must have finally decided to follow through with her threats, she thought he was crazy and wanted him gone. But he wouldn't go quietly, they didn't know what he could do. Although his gift wasn't as effective on the older kids - and by extension he though it likely to be less effective on an adult - it had been getting more powerful in the few months since he turned eleven and he was sure it could at least buy him time to escape.

He jumped back from this old man and yelled, "you can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you're from, isn't it? 'Professor,' yes, of course-well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you!" He did his best to hide the fear in his voice but wasn't sure he had succeeded.

"I am not from the asylum," said Dumbledore patiently, "I am a teacher and, if you will sit down calmly, I shall tell you about Hogwarts. Of course if you would rather not come to the school, nobody will force you-"

"I'd like to see them try," sneered Tom, a little strength back in his voice with the thought of a confrontation pumping his adrenaline up.

"Hogwarts," Dumbledore went on, as though he had not heard Riddle's last words, "is a school for people with special abilities-"

Was this supposed to be a nice way of saying crazy? "I'm not mad!" yelled Tom.

"I know that you are not mad. Hogwarts is not a school for mad people. It is a school of magic."

Tom's mind went numb for a split second, he searched in Dumbledore's eyes, looking for any sign that he was lying, something he was good at catching, but found none. Could it be, could he finally be leaving this orphanage. And what was it he called it; "magic", was that what he was able to do, he couldn't hold it any longer.

"Magic?" the word escaped his mouth at barely a whisper.

"That's right," said Dumbledore, no sign of a lie in his voice.

"It's...it's magic, what I can do?"

"what is it that you can do?"

"All sorts," breathed Tom. A rush of excitement was building inside of him and he could feel himself getting red, but he didn't care his dreams were coming true. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I want to."

The excitement was overtaking him and his legs were shaking, he stumbled forward and sat on the bed. He looked down at his hand in awe, he new he was special, but never imagined...

"I knew I was different," he whispered, "I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something."

"Well, you were quite right," said Dumbledore, "you are a wizard."

"Are you a wizard too?" asked Tom.

"Yes, I am." replied Dumbledore

"Prove it," said Tom, once again using his commanding voice, he wanted to be sure that this old man wasn't pulling his leg "Tell the truth."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "if, as I take it, you are accepting your place at Hogwarts-"

"Of course I am!" Tom almost yelled, could this man actually think that he would turn down such a great offer.

"Then you will address me as 'Professor' or 'sir'."

Tom couldn't believe this; for a split second rage pulsed through him, what did it matter what he called him, but not wanting to lose this opportunity he quickly said in the most polite voice he could muster, "I'm sorry, sir, I meant-please, Professor, could you show me-?"

Dumbledore pulled what looked like a fancy stick out of his inside pocket and pointed it at Tom's wardrobe and flicked his wrist.

The wardrobe burst into flames.

Tom jumped up from the bed, rage was building up inside of him. How dare this man catch fire to everything he owned, he let out a scream of anger and rounded on the man, prepared to cause him has much pain has he could find a way to do. As he did this though he saw the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe completely undamaged.

Excitement once again burst inside of Tom, he had been able to do some cool things, but this was far beyond anything he even dreamed of, he wanted one of those sticks!

Pointing at the stick he said "Where can I get one of them?"

"All in good time," said Dumbledore. "I think there is something trying to get out of your wardrobe."

Tom looked over at his wardrobe and heard something rattling inside, fear started to grip at his insides and this time he was unable to hide it.

"Open the door," said Dumbledore.

Tom hesitated, he wasn't sure what was causing the noise, but after seeing this man engulf and his wardrobe in flames he was slightly weary. Deciding that the man had not caused any damage he crossed the room and threw open the wardrobe door. On the topmost shelf, his box of keepsakes was shaking at rattling as though there were several frantic mice trapped inside it.

"Take it out," said Dumbledore, his tone left no room for discussion and so Tom obeyed.

"Is there anything in that box that you ought not to have?" asked Dumbledore.

Tom looked Dumbledore up and down again, how could he know that. Few knew he had taken these things and those who did were far to scared to say anything to anyone. Seeing a hard determination in Dumbledore's eye's Tom said "Yes, I suppose so, sir," working hard to keep the emotion he was feeling out of his voice.

"Open it," said Dumbledore.

Tom took the lid off and tipped the contents onto his bed without looking at them. He didn't need to, he had memorized it's contents by heart: a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a tarnished mouth organ were some of his favorites. They may seem like junk to others, but to Tom they were memento's of his victories. Signs of his power over the others. Once out of the box they stopped quivering and lay quite still upon the thin blankets.

"You will return them to their owners with your apologies," said Dumbledore calmly, putting the stick back into his jacket. "I shall know whether it has been done. And be warned: Thieving is not tolerated at Hogwarts."

Tom had no doubt that this man would know if he didn't do as requested, something in his eyes made it clear he was not to be toiled with; though Dumbledore's eyes were kind and calm on the outside, Tom had a gift of reading deeper that the surface and what he saw spoke volumes of this mans power. He hated the idea of giving up his prized possessions; however, he knew that what was in store for him was far better and so responded "Yes, sir."

"At Hogwarts," Dumbledore went on, "we teach you not only to use magic, but to control it. You have-inadvertently, I am sure-been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to allow your magic to run away with you. But you should know that Hogwarts can expel students, and the Ministry of Magic-yes, there is a Ministry-will punish lawbreakers still more severely. All new wizards must accept that, in entering our world, they abide by our laws."

Tom was thinking hard, he had the feeling that Dumbledore new full well that it wasn't inadvertently that he had done anything, but he was not about to let on to that. He would obey their rules and learn, then he would have the power that he longed for so dearly. With that in mind he said "Yes, sir," hiding all emotion as he had become accustomed to doing over the years.

Tom was putting the objects back into the box so that he could easily return them all when suddenly a nauseating thought occurred to him. Surely whatever this place was it cost money and he had none, he could feel his dreams being ripped away from him, but wasn't about to show the pain that he felt inside. He simply said matter-of-factly "I haven't got any money," if the man said that he therefore couldn't go it would crush him; but, he wasn't go to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.

To his surprise that was not the response he received at all.

"That is easily remedied," said Dumbledore, drawing a leather money-pouch from his pocket. "There is a fund at Hogwarts for those who require assistance to buy books and robes. You might have to buy some of your spellbooks and so on secondhand, but-"

Tom grabbed the money-pouch and opened it up. Inside were three different shaped and colored coins. He pulled out one of the big gold ones and was examining it, it was very fascinating. "Where do you buy spellbooks?"

"In Diagon Alley," said Dumbledore. " I have your list of books and school equipment with me. I can help you find everything-"

"Your coming with me?" asked Tom, the last thing he wanted was this man watching over his shoulder on his first day of freedom as a wizard.

"Certainly, if you-"

"I don't need you," said Tom. "I'm used to doing things for myself, I go round London on my own all the time. How do you get to this Diagon Alley-sir?" he added this last part just has he caught the man's eye and saw he was about to correct him.

Dumbledore handed Tom the envelope containing the list of equipment and explained to him how to get to the Leaky Cauldron, "You will be able to see it, although Muggles around you-non-magical people, that is-will not. Ask for Tom the barman-easy enough to remember, as he shares your name-"

Tom felt rage shudder through him for a split second, why must he have such a common name, he hated it.

"you dislike the name 'Tom'?"

"There are a lot of Toms," he muttered and then asked the question he had been dying to ask since finding out he was a wizard, "Was my father a wizard? He was called Tom Riddle too, they've told me"

"I'm afraid I don't know," said Dumbledore, his voice gentle.

"My mother can't have been magic, or she wouldn't have died," this last part he said to himself, forgetting for a second that Dumbledore was in the room. "It must've been him. So-when I've got all my stuff-when do I come to this Hogwarts?"

"All the details are on the second piece of parchment in your envelope," said Dumbledore. "you will leave from King's Cross Station on the first of September. There is a train ticket in there too."

Tom nodded, he already couldn't wait until then; the day he would finally leave this orphanage behind. Dumbledore was getting ready to leave, but Tom had saved one last peace of information and he wanted to impress his new teacher with it.

"I can speak to snakes. I found out when we've been to the country on trips-they find me, they whisper to me. Is that normal for a wizard?"

Tom saw Dumbledore hesitate for a second, it was only a split second but Tom saw it and saw the questioning look in his eyes.

"It is unusual," said Dumbledore, "but not unheard of." Although he left his tone casual Tom could see him appraising him differently than he had before. Tom was afraid he had said to much and was determined to find out more about this ability when he got to school.

Dumbledore once again extended his hand and Tom and he shook hands, both appraising the other and then Dumbledore said "Good-bye, Tom. I shall see you at Hogwarts."

Tom sat there slightly dumbfounded for a moment, he was no longer just another orphan. He was special, he was a Wizard!

For the next twenty minutes Tom sat on his bed, daydreaming about Hogwarts. What would it be like? Anything would be better than the orphanage. And magic! He couldn't wait to learn more, the desire to know everything he could burned inside of him, eating away at him. He decided that he would go to Diagon Alley tomorrow and get his books so that he could begin to learn more about the wizarding world, HIS world, before he left.

His thoughts were interrupted by a slight shudder on the bed next to him. He had completely forgotten about the objects he was to return. He assumed that Dumbledore had done something to the items to make them shudder occasionally until he returned them. With this in mind and the warning that Dumbledore would know if he didn't return them he decided that he best get to it.

The first stop was the next room over were Billy Stubbs was sitting reading at a desk. Tom approached him and noticed that as Billy saw him his muscles visibly tightened as he looked apprehensively at Tom. Over the last couple of years Billy had become something of a right hand man to Tom. Billy and his minions had been the first people to learn about Tom's gift and as such had become the first additions to his group of followers; because Billy was good at getting other bullies to follow him Tom had been happy to let him continue in that role as long as he remembered that Tom was the one in charge; something Tom never failed to remind him. It was because of these reminders that Billy now looked worried, fearing that Tom might be about to hurt him for not doing something correctly or just to let him know he could.

Seeing this Tom said, "Don't worry Billy, I just want to talk."

Billy visibly relaxed and said, "What's up Tom, someone need some sense knocked into them," a small smirk toyed at Billy's mouth as he said this. While Tom couldn't say he liked Billy he certainly respected his eagerness to cause others harm.

Chuckling slightly Tom replied, "No, actually I wanted to give this back to you and apologize for taking it." As he said this he handed Billy the yo-yo he had forced Billy to give him. He did all of this in the politest manner possible; he wasn't sure if Dumbledore could actually see him or not but figured there was no point in chancing it and having Dumbledore think him insincere in his apology.

Billy sat astounded for a moment before slowly reaching out to take the yo-yo. "Th- Thank you" he stammered after a moment, "but why?"

Tom's eye's hardened as he glared in obvious anger at Billy. Here he was apologizing and trying to be nice and Billy was questioning him? Just as quickly though Tom remembered why he was here and once again mustering his most polite voice forced a small laugh and said, "I just got accepted to a boarding school and won't be around so I figured I might as well leave on a good note."

Billy seemed unconvinced but unwilling to push Tom any further and just nodded slightly. With that Tom turned on his heel and walked out of the room leaving a stunned Billy in his wake.

More or less the same conversation took place another six times until he got to Ashley Brittle, a fourteen year old girl that Tom had taken the mouth organ from. Tom had gotten to the part were he told her that he was going away to school when she interrupted him.

"You wish! I saw that man talking to Mrs. Cole and then going in to talk to you." she said smirking, "he didn't look like any teacher I know, looked more like a doctor".

"They're finally sending you away aren't they, and they found the stolen items and are making you return them!" she laughed a bit has she said this last part.

Rage boiled inside of Tom. This lowly, what was it Dumbledore had called them, Muggle dared to mock him. He came here to apologize and now she thought it was weakness and that she would be able to torment him, a wizard! Already, though he didn't know much, or really anything, of the magical world, he knew that wizards were superior to muggles.

"HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT ME!" yelled Tom

A second later Ashley was lying on the ground holding her face which was now had a large red welt on one cheek. Tom hadn't actually meant to hurt her and was actually a bit surprised. It had been some time since he had used his gift - magic he corrected himself happily - unintentionally.

Ashley lay on the ground holding her cheek with tears rolling down her face, "please, I'm sorry, don't hurt me."

In the back of Tom's mind logic began to overcome his rage and he remembered that he may be being watched.

Once again in his polite voice he said "It's alright, sorry I lost my temper, please accept my apology and your organ, I'll be gone to school soon and I don't want to leave on a bad note" he finished with a smile and offered her a hand up.

She shakily took it and thanked him for returning the organ, fear was obvious in her eye's and Tom could tell she only accepted to keep from further antagonizing him

"You should go see the nurse, tell her that you ran into a door frame or something." said Tom.

With that Tom turned and left the room, a small smile on his face. He had returned all of the items now and tomorrow he would see the wizarding world for the first time.

That night as he lay in bed he could barely sleep, but for the first time in eleven years it was not because of discomfort, but excitement. When sleep finally found him that night his dreams were filled with thoughts of magic, Hogwarts, and power.

_A/N: Okay so Tom now knows that he is a Wizard and now the real fun begins... Please please please review!_


	5. Two Alleys

The next morning Tom woke early and quickly readied for the day. He had never been so excited in his life and he thought he might burst with joy at the thought of starting his life in the magical world. After a quick breakfast top approached Mrs. Cole's office and knocked quietly on the open door as he steopped into the office.

"Mrs. Cole, I'd like permission to be gone a bit later than normal today. I have to go pick up all of my supplies for school and so I'll need to go further into London than normal" Tom politely stated. He didn't think the matron would have an issue but didn't want to risk her making him wait because of cheek.

Mrs. Cole eyed him warily as if trying to find some kind of ulterior motive to his request. The older children were normally required to be back at the orphanage by dinner at 7:00 and it was obvious that Mrs. Cole did not like the idea of ever making an exception to one of her rules. Just as Tom was beginning to worry that he would be denied and have to rush his shopping, however, Mrs. Cole responded, "I'll give you an extra two hours; but if your even a minute late you'll be on extra kitchen duty for a week understood?"

Tom quickly let her know that he would be sure to be on time and made his way out of the orphanage toward downtown feeling as if he could float. Even the disapprove looks of the shoppers and wary looks of the shop owners as he walked through the local town square couldn't upset him today. In the past it always made him feel horrible when he received these looks – thought truthfully it didn't upset him nearly as much as when people simply looked through him as though he didn't exist at all. It was when they did this that he always felt his worst; it wasn't that he minded being poor – he had never known anything else so he didn't have anything to miss – but the constant reminder that people thought he would never be anything and therefore wasn't even worth of acknowledgement ate away at him. Today, however, he had the knowledge that one day they would be forced to acknowledge him to buoy his spirits as he made his way through town.

After about an hour of walking Tom saw the small grubby looking bar that Professor Dumbledore had described to him. Opening the door he was immediately entranced by all of the things that he saw. In one corner was a man dressed in deep red robes and sipping a drink that was smoking slightly. While Tom had never been in a bar, he was sure that "Muggle" drinks did not smoke. In the other corner was a woman with a large book opened in front of her and her wand (he guessed that's what the fancy looking sticks were after thinking about it last night) out making slow motions that were causing the liquid in a pot in front of her to change colors every couple seconds as it simmered slightly.

Tom was still taking it all in when a man with a slight hunched back approached him and asked if he could help him.

"Yes, I'm looking for Tom the barman." Tom informed the man.

"Well you're in luck that would be me. How can I help you?" the man said as he smiled widely at Tom.

"Good afternoon, my name is Tom Riddle, Professor Dumbledore told me to find you and that you would be able to show me how to get into Diagon Alley" said Riddle.

"Ah, yes he mentioned you would be stopping in some time soon, I assume you have your list then?"

Tom nodded and pulled his list from his back pocket showing it to the barman.

"Well that's in order then, and do you have the money Dumbledore gave ya" questioned the barkeep.

Tom eyed the man apprehensively; he had never had any money and he wasn't keen on giving anyone the chance to take it. Deciding it was unlikely that Dumbledore would give him the money and then have him ask for someone that would just take it from him Tom answered that he did but stopped short of producing the bag of coins.

"Good, good, did the Professor happen to let you know which coins were which?" started Tom the barman, seeing the blank look on Tom's face he continued, "I guess not; the small bronze ones are Knuts, the silver ones are Sickles, and the big gold ones are Galleons. There are twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon."

"Got it, so how do I get into Diagon Alley, I can make it from there," said Tom with a bit of an edge to his words, he didn't want a babysitter all day.

"You go through the door in the back, it will lead to an alley way. I'll take you the first time since you don't have a wand yet but in the future you'll be able to do it by counting three bricks up and two across and tapping your wand three times. A door will then appear allowing you into Diagon Alley." As he explained this the barkeep led Tom out the back door and demonstrated the wand movements.

As he the older Tom tapped his wand on the bricks a doorway appeared in front of them and Tom got his first look at Diagon Alley. If Tom thought that his senses had gone into overdrive when he walked into the bar it was nothing compared to what he was experiencing now. People – witches and wizards Tom realizes – packed the small street as they went from shop to shop; many with kids Tom's age in tow. While most of the kids were wearing clothes similar to what he had seen in London the adults wore robes of all different colors that billowed behind them as they walked.

What really had his senses reeling, however, were the shops they were walking between. There were shops whose windows advertised potion ingredients, magical pets, quidditch supplies (whatever that was), and so much more. As Tom tried to decide where to start his eyes fell on a simple looking shop with just one thing displayed in its window and automatically knew what his first stop would be.

Since seeing Dumbledore engulf his wardrobe in flames Tom had been eagerly awaiting the moment he would get a wand and now the small shop with the sign that read _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._ seemed to pull him in like a magnet.

Tom walked in and was surprised to see that the only thing in the front room was a small spindly legged stool sitting in front of a counter that dominated the rearmost section of the room. A man in his late 30s to early 40s entered through a door behind the counter and said, "Good day young man, first year at Hogwarts I assume?" Giving Tom a small smile he continued, "I am Mr. Ollivander, my family has been helping students get the right wands for centuries so not to worry. Of course, it really is the wand that chooses the wizard after all."

A bit confused Tom simply nodded as a measuring tape started to measure all different parts of his body on it's own. While the measuring tape was working Mr. Ollivander was removing some boxes from the wall. Suddenly the measuring tape stopped and Mr. Ollivander came back over holding multiple boxes.

"Twelve inches, maple and dragon heartstrings" said Ollivander as he pulled a wand out of one of the boxes and handed it to Tom "give it a try"

No sooner had it touched Tom's hand than Ollivander was taking it back saying no.

"Sixteen-and-a-quarter inches, ebony and unicorn hair"

Tom took it and gave it a flick, nothing happened.

"Here we go thirteen-and-a-half inches, yew and phoenix tail"

Tom grabbed it and instantly he felt a warmth go through his palm and up his arm. Even before he flicked his wrist he knew it was right. When he did red sparks flew out and illuminated the shop before disappearing.

"Wonderful!" said Mr. Ollivander "that will be four Galleons."

Elated, Tom happily paid Mr. Ollivander and made his way out of the shop. From there he went to Flourish and Blotts were he saw books of all kinds stacked from floor to ceiling. Tom had always enjoyed reading and couldn't wait to get his hands on the books on his list. Making his way through the crowd he gave his list to the witch behind the counter and asked for used copies of all of the books. As she was gathering them he browsed around and decided to also pick up a used copy of _Hogwarts: a History _because he wanted to learn everything he could about the school that would be his home for the next seven years.

The rest of the day went smoothly as Tom went from store to store getting all of the supplies that he needed. He had just left the apothecary with his new potions kit when he noticed another alleyway going into an area he hadn't yet explored. Not wanting to miss anything and being done with his shopping with some time and money to spare Tom decided there would be no harm in checking it out.

As approached the street he saw a small sign that read _Knockturn Alley_. Walking into the area Tom's first thought was that it wasn't nearly as well lit as Diagon Alley. As he began looking around he saw that the area was darker in more ways than one. There were not nearly as many people and those that were around had a decidedly dodgy look about them to Tom; in fact Tom's well honed survival instincts told him that many of these people would certainly slit his throat as soon as look at him. The stores that lined the streets amplified were also quite dodgy. There was a store offering several variations of poisons; a shop advertising wicked looking weapons with all kinds of magical properties; a storefront showing what they claimed to be all sorts of cursed items, and much more. The store that caught Tom's eye was a book store that from the outside seemed similar to _Flourish and Blotts_ called _Bartlett's Books_.

While both stores had books stacked from floor to ceiling Tom immediately noticed that this was where the similarities ended. Many of the older books in this store were, for want of a better term, simply evil looking. While some new books lined the shelves many of the tomes near the back seemed to be ancient to Tom and some of the oldest looking ones seemed to ooze malevolence.

As Tom browsed the aisles an older man walked up to him and said, "If you're looking for your school books you're in the wrong place boy. There's books in here worth more than your life so mind what you touch, understood."

Tom looked the man up and down and while not intimidating in stature the man reminded Tom strongly of the head matron and so he assumed the same polite manner he would with her.

"No sir, I already have my school books, I just had a little extra spending money and thought a book in here might be worth reading.".

"Well, this section here is full of rare tomes and grimoires. You're not likely to find anything you could understand yet back here, let alone afford I am sure. I've got a few things up front that might interest ya though; bit more suited for a school aged kid."

As they approached the front of the shop the old man continued, "Now, I'm assuming that since you're in this shop your interest in magic are a bit more . . . expanded . . . than what is typically taught at Hogwarts?"

Tom had actually not even thought about that, but thinking quickly he came to a decision. The books in this store were obviously dark in nature – and the only mention of the darks arts on his list was the defense against them – so it was unlikely that these books would be on the curriculum any time soon. However, Tom saw no reason to limit his knowledge of the magical world to just what they might teach him at school. Growing up in an orphanage had taught him that what adults will teach you is only part of what it takes to survive; after all the teachers at the orphanage hadn't taught them anything about fighting but it was certainly needed to survive on the streets of London as an orphan. With this in mind Tom replied, "let's just say that life has taught me to not limit my horizons."

With a wicked grin the storekeeper picked out a book called, _An Introduction to the Dark Arts_ and handed it to Tom saying, "Just remember that plenty of folks are a bit more narrow minded so you'll be wanting to keep that book away from prying eyes."

As they walked to the counter Tom also spotted a book called _Great Wizarding Families of Britain_ and decided to get it with the hope of finding the Riddle bloodline. The old man assured him that while it only included the currently active bloodlines it was a good start for anyone wanting to learn more about the most powerful pureblood families in England.

As he made his way back to Diagon Alley Tom realized he had spent more time than he intended in the bookstore. Asking a passerby for the time he was dismayed to find out that it was already 8:30; with his hour long walk there was no way he could make it back to the orphanage before 9:00.

As he rushed into the Leaky Cauldron the barman must have noticed the worry on his face because he approached and said, "Alright there Tom? You seem rather out of sorts."

Being careful to hide the books he had just bought Tom explained that he was going to be late getting back to the orphanage and the head matron would be furious, having already extended the curfew for him.

Nodding in understanding the barman said, "Not to worry, I've not been to the orphanage so I can't get you directly there, but I can get you to the park nearby and you should have plenty of time to make it the rest of the way."

"I appreciate the offer," Tom said sadly, "but even by car I don't think we can make it in time".

Chucking good heartedly the barman said, "don't you worry lad, our ways of traveling are a lot faster than the muggle ways. Take hold of my arm and keep a firm grip; you're going to feel a strange sensation for a moment."

Tom did as he was told and suddenly felt as if the world collapsed in on him and he was unable to breathe. A split second later the sensation was gone and Tom found that he was standing in the park just down the street from the orphanage. Looking at the barman with excitement Tom asked, "how did you do that?" a slight greedy edge making its way into his voice.

"It's called apparition, you will have a chance to learn to do it when you turn Seventeen, until then I suggest watching the time better" he said with a smile, "now I have to be off and you need to get back home before you get yourself in trouble." and with that the barman turned on the spot and disappeared.

Tom quickly walked the block toward his house dragging his now full school trunk behind him. Tom had given him strict instructions to not show anyone the supplies he had purchased explaining that muggles weren't allowed to know about the magical world and most would think him crazy anyway. Typically he would not be worried about what the kids at the orphanage thought, but he didn't want to mess up his chances of going to Hogwarts so he thought it best to actually listen to this advice. Bearing that in mind Tom's first stop once back at the orphanage was the library were he took the dust covers off of several books close in size to his new ones so that he could cover them.

After quickly eating the dinner that Mrs. Cole had left out for him Tom sat on his bed and pulled out his _Hogwarts: A History_ and began reading. For the next three hours he read until he could no longer keep his eyes open and he drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Hogwarts running through his head.

After he had done all of his chores the next day he decided to check out some of the other books he had picked up. He skimmed through _The Standard Book of Spells, Magical Theory, A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration, _and_ The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection_ occasionally stopping and practicing the wand movements with just a pencil, he dared not bring out his wand for fear of being seen. He also read _Magical Drafts and Potions_ which greatly intrigued him before he once again came across the book _An Introduction to the Dark Arts_.

Tom began reading the book and was immediately intrigued. Unlike his Defense Against the Dark Arts book which spoke of offensive spells, curses, and hexes only in an intellectual level and only spoke of using them against others for defense this book spoke of spells as a way to control others and accomplish your goals. It seemed to Tom that like his other text books this one was geared toward laying a foundation for a student of the dark arts and so many spells were discussed without going into detail about how to cast them; however, the author promised that a practitioner would be able to master the basics of the dark arts and be prepared to move on to the next book in the series within a year. For Tom it seemed clear that only a fool would pass up the opportunity to learn everything he could about this seemingly powerful branch of magic and so he dedicated himself to studying the book in detail.

Over the course of the next several weeks Tom dedicated every spare moment he had to reading all of the spell books he had purchased as well as _Great Wizarding Families of Britain_. While he had not yet found Riddle he assumed that it was because of a slight spelling change or that maybe his father's bloodline originated outside of Britain. He was certain, however, that his father would have attended Hogwarts and decided that he would simply take up the search once he arrived to look for any clues about his families past.

A/N: Thank you for reading, I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. **Please review! I would love any feedback you can give; even negative as it will help you to improve the story.** Thank you in advance to those who review!


	6. The Hogwarts Express

_A/N: This is the first chapter in which you will begin to see some of the characters that were attending, or working, at Hogwarts during the same time as Tom. I have done my best to find the names of those who attended during the same time; but, most unfortunately, the only information I can find at all only gives last names, and even this is limited. With this in mind I will be giving the first generations that do not have first names already names of my own. I will also be adding characters that were not previously part of the HP world. If I have changed a first name were one was already available please by all means let me know and I will change it to the correct name. Needless to say anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling, anything you don't is my own. Hope you enjoy._

The morning of September first found Tom Riddle pacing excitedly around his bed as he rechecked his luggage over and over to ensure that he was not leaving anything behind. This of course was easy considering the only things that Tom was taking were the supplies that had been in his trunk since his trip to Diagon Alley, his books which he had replaced in the trunk each night for safe keeping, and his small wardrobe which he had packed last night. It was just past 8:00 a.m. and so Tom decided that he would go down to breakfast with the other kids in order to pass the time. Tom had arranged with Mrs. Cole to have a cab take him to Kings Cross and it was set to arrive at 9:30 – Tom new this would put him at the station far earlier than necessary but he just couldn't wait to be on his way.

As scheduled the cab arrived at 9:30 as the driver helped Tom to load his trunk. Mrs. Cole approached and wished Tom a good year while admonishing him to stay out of trouble. Her tone left it clear that she would not miss him but the feeling was mutual so Tom didn't care. None of the children of the orphanage had come out to see Tom off – Trina had talked to Tom the night before and informed him that his crew would be run by Billy (his second) now since he wouldn't be around and therefore couldn't really stay an Angel – but this didn't really surprise or bother Tom either. He knew he would have to return here for breaks but Tom was determined that the orphanage was no longer part of his life; Hogwarts would now be his home and this dismal place would only be a place he was forced to endure for a short period each year. As the cab pulled away Tom glanced back one last time at the dreary stone façade of the Alexandria Orphanage and once again felt his heart sore with joy as his new life began.

Tom arrived at Kings Cross at 10:15 and loaded his trunk onto a trolley as he thanked the driver. Eager to get on his way he purposefully walked down through the station and past platform 9 in search of 9 and ¾; his spirits dropped, however, as he reached platform 10 with no sign of a platform between the two. Mind reeling Tom quickly realized that it must be something like the gateway into Diagon Alley. Tom began to search frantically for any clue as to how he would get on the platform and was just beginning to give up hope when he saw a boy a few years older than him with his parents carrying a trunk like his. Given that he was in a train station this alone would not have piqued his interest, however, on the trunk was an owl cage and he distinctly heard the mother mentioning them only having ten minutes before the train left at 11:00. Watching the family closely Tom blinked in surprise as he saw the boy taking a jogging start at the brick barrier between platform 9 and 10 and then vanish right as Tom expected him to crash into it. Being careful to watch even closer as the mother went through (to ensure there was no special wand movement or something that needed to be done) Tom realized that this must be the way to the platform and so after watching the father disappear made his way to the barrier. Glancing at the clock and realizing he only had five minutes remaining Tom gritted his teeth and launched himself at the barrier hoping he hadn't missed anything but expecting to feel pain any moment as he hit the wall. Moments later, however, he found himself standing on another platform that clearly wasn't a normal Kings Cross platform.

The platform was packed with families saying quick goodbyes as kids rushed onto a Crimson train. Tom felt a moments sadness at the fact that he had no family to wish him well on his new adventure but quickly shrugged it off; he was starting his new life in the magical world and feeling sorry for himself would do him no good. Tom quickly made his way onto the train and found an empty carriage. He knew that he would have to start meeting people soon but he wasn't ready quite yet to take that step. It wasn't that he was afraid to meet new people or that he wanted to stay isolated. In fact, Tom knew that if he was going to gain the power and respect he wanted he would need to find others that could help him; after all, magic or not this was still a school and if the Angels taught Tom anything it was that those with connections always made out better than those without. The issue was only that Tom felt he wasn't yet prepared enough. As much reading has he had done he knew that he was still woefully uneducated about the wizarding world and he didn't want to risk his lack of knowledge being taken as a sign of weakness, therefore, he planned on trying to stay isolated and simply watch for the first couple of days; then after he felt he had a bit more of an understanding he would simply explain of his shyness as nervousness due to being in a new place.

Tom, therefore, settled down in the compartment and opened his now favorite book, _An Introduction to the Dark Arts_ and then pulled out his wand. Remembering the book store clerks words Tom was sure that it wasn't prudent to be reading a book on the dark arts openly so he had found a spell in his transfiguration book to make the cover blank. The thought of performing his first spell (he had practiced the wand movements for this and other spells for hours but this would be the first time actually using his wand) both excited and terrified Tom – what if it didn't work? Pushing aside his doubt Tom pointed his wand at the book at clearly said _absconde_ while flicking his wrist and was pleased to see the title fade away from the book. Pleased that no one would be able to see what he was reading Tom turned to the section he was now on, _The Great Power of the Mind: Occlumency and Legilimency_. He found this section especially interesting for two reasons; first, the book explained that these skill in of themselves were not actually considered "dark magic", however, it also explained that they could be used to both better understand ones enemies as well as control them through their own mind. Second, while a person had to be magical to use occlumency or legilimency they did not depend on magical ability at all, but instead purely on the person's ability to focus and their will power. While Tom was sure that it would take time for him to be able to do many of the spells in this book – though there were a few he was itching to try as soon as possible – this was something he not only was sure he could do right away but that he had already been practicing at the orphanage. Since it didn't require the use of his wand to practice the steps of clearing his mind and picturing a wall around his thoughts he had been going through the steps nightly. Legilimency, while requiring that the user at least have their wand on them – and more powerful if the wand was pointed at the person it was being used on – was a mere extension of Occlumency and so Tom had been practicing the steps so that when the chance arose he would be prepared to try it on someone.

Tom had just cleared his mind and built his wall when he heard the door to the compartment open – to his pleasure he found that he was able to keep his wall in place even as he took in the boys who were now standing in his door. The first boy was large but didn't look too bright. He had blond hair that was cut close to his head and lazy eyes; he seemed to be used to pushing his weight around and reminded Tom very much of Billy's muscle Marko and Hector. The second boy was about Tom's size and had bright red hair; he had a good natured air about him and seemed to be having a great time.

"All of the other compartmants are full; mind if we join you?" asked the redheaded boy.

"Suit yourself, but I'm a bit busy at the moment" replied Tom coolly, he wasn't happy about how quickly his first encounter with others here had come, but when he thought about it he guessed he had been foolish to think he would be able to avoid it given that he had a long train ride ahead of him.

"Busy? The school year hasn't even really started yet, how could you be busy already?" replied the boy.

"I guess you are right, I was just trying to get a head start, it's my first year and I want to be prepared." stated Tom using his now well practiced polite voice. If this was going to be his first conversation with someone at his new school he figured he better make the best of it. No point in making enemies just yet.

At this the other boy spoke up for the first time. "What is that you're reading anyway?"

Tom thought quickly about this, he wasn't sure just how bad it was to study the dark arts but based on what the clerk at the store had said at least some would frown upon it and Tom didn't think it was a good idea to risk being ostracized just yet. "Nothing really just a book on wizarding blood what's your name by the way?"

As he said this Tom quickly closed the book and hoped that they would not pursue it any further. He also noticed that the redhead squirmed slightly at the mention of the book, as if he had said something wrong.

"I'm Alex Avery, I am sure my family is in that book, that is if it talks about the _pure_ bloodlines," replied Alex with an air of superiority.

"I'm Frank Weasley, you don't actually put stock in that _pure_ bloodline rubbish to you Alex" Frank said this with a bit of annoyance in his voice, "my dad says that it makes no difference to a person's magical ability."

"Well of course he says that, your entire family is a bunch of blood traitors and always have been." snarled Alex.

At that Frank pulled his wand and had just aimed it at Alex when the door opened yet again and a Witch who appeared to be in her late twenties poked her head in.

"Oh my, now now boys we can't have any fighting on the train. The lunch trolley is here if you want anything and unless you would like me to call a prefect I would ask that you put away your wands." said the lady. With his face red and shaking with anger Frank left the compartment. Alex simply said he didn't want anything and sat looking as if he was upset he missed a good fight. Tom shook his head and the Witch moved on to the next compartment.

"So what about you, what's your name." said Alex, a note of anger still in his voice.

"Tom Riddle" replied Tom blandly.

"I don't recognize that surname, are you Muggle born?" There was a definite note of malice in his voice as he said the last part.

"That is not your concern." Tom stated, matching Alex's malice.

"Let's check your little book shall we." Alex said with a sneer and before Tom saw him he had the book in his hand and was opening it.

Alex's face changed from a sneer to one of confusion and then one of understanding. Tom flashed with anger and drew his wand, prepared to try one of the spells he had learned in that very book. He raised his wand and pointed it at the boy and yelled "_infindo_"

Alex jumped out of the way just has he yelled the incantation and the spell hit the seat he was in putting a long gash into the padding. Terror was evident in Alex's eyes as he yelled "wait! I didn't realize, I thought you were a Mudblood or something, but no Mudblood would be able to pull off that spell at our age."

"And what exactly is a mudblood?" sneered Tom, he had calmed down considerably but was still felt anger pulsing through him.

"You don't know?" asked Alex, clearly confused, "maybe you are muggleborn after all." he finished with a bit of the malice back in his voice, though not nearly as pronounced.

"My parents were magical, but I was raised in an orphanage, not that it's any of your business." said Tom, he hated giving personal information like this but he knew that he would have to explain his lack of knowledge of the magical world somehow and it seemed to be getting clearer and clearer to him that lack of that knowledge could get you enemies quickly.

"An orphanage?" said Alex, chuckling lightly.

Tom felt anger flash up inside of him instantly and he had his wand pointed at Alex's face before he was able to react at all. Alex's hand was close to grasping his own wand when Tom sneered in his most menacing voice "move and I'll show you what else I've learned in that book." Tom was bluffing, he had actually been shocked that the cutting spell had worked and wasn't sure if he could pull of the others but he was quickly realizing that some things didn't change no matter if you were in the muggle or wizarding world. Alex was obviously a bully used to getting his way quickly and now that Tom had shown he was not only not afraid of him but a dangerous adversary he would only fight if he saw a clear advantage to him.

Alex obviously had an idea of the kind of spells that could be found in that book because he froze instantly.

"Never-laugh-at-me" Tom said through gritted teeth. "I am going to say this once, and you would do best to remember it. I may have been raised in an orphanage, but that doesn't mean I don't know the power that runs through me. Your hardly worth my energy, but push me and you'll regret it." Tom was on the verge of telling Alex to get out when a better idea struck him. "You've seen what I can, and will do. And if you are smart you will trust what I tell you of my bloodline. So rather than you getting yourself hurt coming after me I have a better idea. You fill me in on all of the important stuff about the magical world I've missed out on and in return I'll forget our little disagreement."

Tom could see the wheels turning in Alex's mind. He could tell that he was battling between not wanting to lose a fight and the fact that he clearly was at a disadvantage. Finally he responded "I like the way you work, you have a deal. I'll tell you everything I know and help you get in with the right people here at Hogwarts. In return you don't point that (he indicated Tom's wand) at me anymore. Oh, and can you do me a favor and not mention to anyone how we came to be 'friends'?"

"I'm glad to see you can see reason. And I'll be happy to keep this between just us so long as you do as I ask." Tom had no intention of ever being "friends" with this boy, but as he had learned at the orphanage having people around him that could enforce his will definitely had its advantages. He was a first year and had to illusions that he would be running the school, but that didn't mean he couldn't start building his base.

"So once again I ask, what is a 'mudblood'?" asked Tom

"The next worst thing to a straight Muggleborn." said Alex "It's someone who has one parent who is a Witch or Wizard and one who is a Muggle."

"My dad says that they shouldn't even be allowed at Hogwarts." he finished with an air of superiority.  
Tom felt a surge of panic, so he was a mudblood after all. He was sure that his mom couldn't be a Witch, if she was she wouldn't have died, and she did. But then, Alex showed no sign of knowing this and he  
already indicated that Tom's magical prowess was such that he could not believe him one. All he would have to do is simply keep that bit of information to himself.

"So why do they allow them?" asked Tom curiously.

"Well not all people think the same way. As a matter of fact the majority think that we should let Muggleborns and mudbloods in." said Alex "They claim that it doesn't affect one's ability and say we should treat them equally, as if they could ever be as good as the pure-bloods"

"The boy that was in here said something about that didn't he" asked Tom

"Yeah, that was a Weasley, they are a bunch of blood traitors if there ever were any" and seeing the look of confusion on Tom's face he added "blood traitors are pure blooded families that support all the Muggle equality rubbish, the Weasley's are some of the worst, always have been."

They spend the remainder of the trip talking more about the subject of Mudbloods and Muggle borns and the rest of the magical world. Alex filled Tom in on the Quidditch, O.W.L.'s, N.E.W.T.'s, Owl Post, and much more.

For the most part Tom simply listed as Alex explained different aspects of the magical world. But when he started to explain the different houses of Hogwarts Tom stopped him.

"So what house do you think you will be in?"

"I am sure I will be in Slytherin, my entire family has been." replied Alex, "my dad says that a hat sorts you out, not sure how that works but that's what he said."

Tom was anxious about this. From what Alex said almost all Slytherins were purebloods and felt the same way he did about muggleborns and mudbloods. It sounded to him as if that would be the house he needed to be in if he wanted to continue to get the respect he was currently demanding from Alex, and other Wizards who held his beliefs. This was important to Tom because the more he listened to Alex talk about the magical world and mudbloods and Muggles the more he believed the same way. From the time he found out what he was he felt he was better than Muggles and now the he found that he was not the only one who felt this way he was keen to stick with those who felt the same.

The rest of the trip seemed to fly by and Tom seemed to have many more questions as they pulled into the station at Hogsmeade, though he would have loved to continue the conversation with Alex he was also excited to finally be at his new home.

A/N: Alright, there we have it; Tom has arrived at Hogwarts and is ready to begin his magical education. Thank you to all of you that have read this far! Please please please leave reviews.


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